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How to Cook Bacon Recipe

Learn How to Cook Bacon in the Oven for perfect bacon every time! This easy recipe is great for make ahead bacon or cooking a large amount at one time!

Crispy, slightly salty bacon is one of my very favorite foods! It’s so good in many other dishes and simply perfect eaten piece by perfect piece! So when I learned what has to be the easiest way in the world to cook the best, most evenly cooked, crispy bacon, I was hooked!

Now I’m about to share this quick and easy tip with you too – How to Cook Bacon in the Oven!

Learning how to cook bacon in the oven is really an essential cooking tip that I think you’ll love!

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How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

It’s baked bacon in reality, but my tongue always gets twisted trying to say baked bacon. So let’s just stick to bacon cooked in the oven if that’s ok.

Benefits of Cooking Bacon in the Oven

There are so many benefits, I can’t even begin to think of them all, but here are a few main ones that come to mind.

First and foremost, there are no splatters like you’d have with frying bacon. I especially love that I don’t get popped with hot bacon grease early in the morning while making breakfast!

Another positive is that the clean up is incredibly easy when cooking bacon in the oven with this method. I really appreciate easy clean up, don’t you?!

If you have to cook bacon for a crowd, this is the perfect for way to cook it! You can make a lot at once, which also makes it great for recipes that use bacon.

If you like to make ahead for easier meals, this method is perfect for that too!

Did I mention no splatters? That could be listed a million times and I would still think it should be listed again!

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven Recipe

Make sure you begin with a cold oven.

To cook bacon in the oven, you will place a wire rack (optional) onto a baking sheet. Then lay the bacon slices in a single layer onto the wire rack.

Then you will place the baking sheet with bacon into a cold oven. After you’ve added bacon to the oven, turn oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake bacon for 15 to 20 minutes. The baking time depends on the desired amount of crispness for bacon.

You will then remove the cooked bacon from the oven and place the cooked bacon on a paper towel lined platter to remove any excess drippings.

Freezer Instructions:

Oven cooked bacon is very freezer friendly. To freeze it, you’ll wait for the bacon to completely cool. Once it has cooled, place bacon slices into a zip top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat, simply microwave the bacon until it’s heated throughout and enjoy!

How To Cook Bacon Video

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This is truly one of those kitchen tips that every single person in all the land should know about. It’s life changing.

So, here’s my recipe for how to cook bacon in the oven. You are going to love it! Well, if you like bacon that is.

How to Cook Bacon Recipe

Learn how to cook bacon in the oven for perfect bacon every time. Use in numerous bacon recipes.

Prep Time5mins

Cook Time15mins

Total Time20mins

Servings: 6-8

Calories: 15kcal

Author: Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch

Ingredients

bacon

Instructions

Arrange a wire rack onto a baking sheet. (optional) Place the bacon in a single layer onto the wire rack. Place the baking sheet into a cold oven. Turn the oven to 375º F and bake bacon for 15-20 minutes, depending on desired amount of crispness for bacon.

Remove from oven and remove the bacon to a paper towel lined platter to remove any excess drippings.

Notes

To Freeze: Once bacon has cooled, place bacon slices into a zip top freezer bag. To reheat, simply microwave until heated throughout.

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57 comments on “How to Cook Bacon Recipe”

Discovered how to cook bacon in the oven 15 years ago. Have not done it another way since! We’re big campers and this works great on the top rack on a grill or open fire pit as long as the flame is not high. We use disposable aluminum pans for outdoor grilling.

I just talked with a co worker yesterday about this!! She stopped eating bacon for years because of the mess and someone told her about baking bacon. She was even told about boiling it but I thought that method wouldn’t be good. My uncle used to bake bacon all the time when I was a tot and I tried it once but didn’t care for it too much. I would like to try it again and will do so this weekend!

I do the second one listed with the rack. I love it that way. I have a question. The hubs and I love bacon and order from a NY place that we adore. I received a large amount from a place in TN as a gift from my broter. It is deliciously smoky, but the hubs couldn’t eat it as it was tooo salty for him. Any ideas? I am just thinking to cook with it a piece or two at a time instead of him trying to eat it. Thanks for your thoughts.

What a great gift! I would try adding a slice or two to greens, beans or peas when cooking them for the added flavor, similar to how my Grandmother would sometimes use salt pork. It will lend a great flavor and you won’t need to add as much salt to your greens, beans, or peas when they are cooked.

For Winnie: Years ago when my mother had an Easter ham that was too salty she would simmer it for awhile in water to remove some of the salt. I think this procedure would also work well for your bacon. Try it with a few pieces to see. Hope it works for you. I have been baking my bacon in the oven for years. Only way to make it!

I love this method, too. I honestly can’t remember the last time I cooked bacon on the stovetop. I line my baking sheet with parchment and when all is finished, I drain off the bacon fat into a jar (you *know* us Southerners *have* to keep a little on hand), toss the parchment in the trash and that’s about it. Very little clean-up needed for the pan.

Oh my, I can’t even tell you the last time I was without a jar of bacon grease! I think I’d lose my Southern card or something if I did! {Well, my Grandmother would have disowned me, at the very least!}

this has been the only way i cook bacon for years. #1-no greasy stove to clean up and #2-can cook more at one time when you have a crowd to feed and oh yeah, #3-it doesn’t seem to shrink up as much or curl up like fried does.

Cooking bacon in the oven is great if you have to make a lot but there’s something to be said about bacon fried in a cast iron skillet. To me frying bacon in a cast iron is actually good for it and helps keep cast iron seasoned. Also, don’t for get to save the melted bacon grease…

I have never cooked bacon on the stove. Only in the oven, my 25 years of marriage. Even back then, Hormel had instructions on their package for baking it and I wondered why anyone would do it any other way? 🙂

I think my favorite thing about baked bacon is how flat it is. So much nicer to fit it in a wrap, sandwich, etc. Found that I actually use less bacon per sandwich because baking it seems to keep it longer instead of kind of shrunken.

Another great idea ! I love bacon &.have been microwaving it, but that takes so much time & effort to cook one package. I am definitely going to try this. I hope I like it so I can make & then freeze some for later use.

I love this method of baking bacon, but I must be doing something wrong. I followed these directions and it isnt even close to done. I need at least a half hour for the bacon to be edible. Am I missing something?

Hi William, I’ve not had this problem of it not being done in the time given in the recipe with these directions. Sometimes ovens vary in temperature from what the temp gauge says and they have to be recalibrated from time to time. Thicker cut bacon may require a bit longer to cook too. Hope this helps! Thanks!